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Report 1785
Report #1785 Skillset: Harmony Skill: Akhooshlumang Org: Celest Status: Completed Aug 2017 Furies' Decision: Solution 2 Problem: Akhooshlumang is a mantra combination in Harmony that causes a "vitals scramble" meaning that it will display random values whenever you are assessed/contemplated/discerned. The effect is a passive one with the right mantra chanted, and lasts for as long as the mantras stay locked. This essentially provides a hard-counter to many vital based instakills since the target can never accurately gauge where the victim stands, it turns into a guessing game. This is easier to achieve with some classes than others, but all classes usually have a degree of difficulty accurately estimating when a monk is in kill range. Currently, the vitals scramble effect has 0 counter-play, is a general hassle, especially since it is only available to northern monks. This report aims to introduce solutions that limit the range of the skill, as well as provide clear cut lines for counter-play to a monk who chooses to use it. 9 R: 1 Solution #1: Change the skill to a 1-2p activatable skill. The effect is 60s of vital scramble (as it works now). The skill will have a cooldown of 120s after the scramble effect fades. The skill will still use the same mantra combo to use. 7 R: 2 Solution #2: Vitals scramble works as-is. Allow disruption scroll to interrupt the vitals scrambling effect for 10~15s. The harmony user is then immune to being blocked by disrupt for 20~30s (double of whatever the scramble duration is). The immunity is only against blocking the vitals scramble (and not psionic channels) The disruption will ONLY strip the passive vital scramble effect (it will not unlock any mantras or work on other harmony passive effects). If the monk is a psymet user, it will block vitals scramble if it is active AND unlock a psionic channel as it usually does. Alternatively, could add a syntax modifier to specifically target harmony when reading disruption at someone and only unlock one or the other. 0 R: 8 Solution #3: Remove vitals scramble current effect and replace it with "Being assessed/contemplated/discerned by an enemy costs the enemy 1 power". This effect can only proc once per 12s. Add a message when the monk is discerned/assessed/contemplated, something to the effect of "As you attempt to discern @tar, a sense of balance and calmness pervades you." Same mantra combo, still a passive effect Player Comments: ---on 8/10 @ 14:47 sets as pending ---on 8/10 @ 14:55 writes: Wanted to discuss the line of thinking behind the various solutions. My goal was to attempt to either provide clear windows of opportunity against a monk that uses this skill, or provide counterplay against the skill, or to change the skill entirely. Sol1 provides a clear window for the monk and the defender. Once the defender realizes the effect is active, they will be able to semi-guess when the effect will fade, and then prepare their offense accordingly to take advantage of the 2 minute window when they know the skill will be down. This method also provides a bit more strategy for the monk, as they can activate it at will, but can't keep it up forever. It would be best to use it when your nearing the danger-zone, and you would be able to switch away from it once you activate it (much like how you can switch away from the wind combo or the prism combo when you don't need it). This would also promote more power usage (if even just a little bit) as you'll likely want to highchant to use it properly. Sol2 provides a method to counter the mantra itself, with a method that anyone has access to. The window is short, but is still usable in 1v1 or groups to ensure you get an accurate reading when you think you are ready to kill. There is still a bit of guesswork as to when you should use the disrupt, but it still allows for accurate readings. Sol3 is a complete change to how the skill works. It still keeps the spirit of the anti-discern, while removing the 0 counterplay and guesswork the skill currently forces. ---on 8/10 @ 15:17 writes: I really like the sound of solution 1 at first glance. Gives the monk a strong anti % vital defense but requires timing to use it right and can be maintained 1/3 of the time. ---on 8/10 @ 15:42 writes: Solution 3 would be a big buff to the skill against monks and warriors who tend not to care about this ability at all but now would have to restrict their assessing to conserve power. ---on 8/10 @ 18:45 writes: I use disruption scroll fairly regularly against psymet monks 1v1, so Solution 2 could work, though it's longer to reraise psionics vs Harmony. I propose another adjustment. Instead of showing a random number for the current and max of each vital, show something a message like "As you attempt to discern @tar a sense of balance and calmness pervades you." (Obviously something written better than that). This would prevent wasting the power and equilibrium from auto-kill triggers. ---on 8/10 @ 22:21 writes: To be clear, that would be in addition to any other solution. ---on 8/11 @ 11:08 writes: I like solution 1 with Shedrin's caveat, covers most of the bases I think. ---on 8/14 @ 14:32 writes: I dont think we need a sign post line telling us that the enemy has the ability up when we discern them. I'm totally fine with it functioning exactly as it does now so you discern/assess and have to guess they have it by seeing the crazy random vitals. Wasting power from misjudged abilities is ok with me. ---on 8/14 @ 14:33 writes: In all honesty, I am a bit against Shedrin's suggestion. Reason being is that a large draw of the skill is to draw the enemy to use power if they are actually fooled. Secondly, with Sol1, since we are adding a window, showing a message that is essentially "this person has activated vital scramble" makes it way too easy to just set a temp timer for 60s and then just go on the defensive and wait it out or what have you. Without it, it's still up to the victim to figure out scramble has been activated (which really isn't that hard), and react accordingly. ---on 8/14 @ 14:38 writes: That said, I'm not going to add Shedrin's caveat to my solutions, but if there is approval for it, please add it to the comments so the admin can see that this is preferred ---on 8/14 @ 14:47 writes: Correction, added Shedrin's caveat to Sol3, as I feel that is fair. The rest will have to be sol4'd by admin if there is enough support behind it ---on 8/17 @ 01:10 writes: I do not like Sol3 at all. I think Sol2 is reasonable - add some counterplay against a strong skill. I think I would prefer the syntax option, so as not to penalize psymet more than acro monks. Sol1 seems overly harsh. There is already opportunity cost for mantras and power cost for highchanting (effectively a power tax for deathtouch, mantra wind etc.) Adding a power cost AND reducing uptime to 33% is too much IMO. Sol1 with no power cost still costs 2 power to highchant in and out. Making it a total of 3-4 power with 1/3 the uptime is a huge hit. Not clear if activation costs bal/eq. I cannot support Sol1 as currently written. ---on 8/27 @ 23:24 writes: Solution 1 and 2 sound generally good to me. Solution 1 would make the skill the stronger defense to vitals kills than solution 2 but would require smart use on the monks side. Solution 2 would be the weaker defense, would the least effort on the monks side and add in a minor step to vital killers offense. Solution 1 is my pref as I feel it'd be the stronger skill overall but I can happily support solution 2 as well.